My Girl on Fire – gone
by xGoneWalkAbouts
Summary: AU: After Katniss had declared her feelings for Peeta, the Baker's Boy, the two were separated as they worked on completing the plan Beetee had come up with. However, something went wrong – dangerously wrong.


**Notes from the Author: **While I was watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, my friend asked me to write an AU Drabble of Katniss having died in the arena. And this is what I came up with – enjoy it.

This is just a one-shot, obviously.

As a disclaimer, I do not own any of the characters involved in The Hunger Games trilogy; they belong to the creative mind of Suzanne Collins.

Peeta Mellark's POV.

* * *

"I don't want you forgetting how different our circumstances are. If you die, and I live, there's no life for me at all back in District Twelve. You're my whole life. No one really needs me."

"_I do, I need you."_

How could she need me? There was no way that Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire, could ever need me – I was just a Baker's Boy. Nobody ever paid much attention to me, or if they did it was only because of my physical appearance and since the seventy-fourth Hunger Games because I was crowned Victor. Despite all of that, nobody really needed me. I was certain that this – her saying she needed me – was just another ploy to make the Capitol and the other Districts believe the lies we had fed them all throughout the previous Games and Victory Tour.

Even with all the doubt of her feelings towards me, the moment her lips were pressed to mine in what seemed to be an affectionate and meaningful kiss, all the doubt washed away; the feelings only to be replaced with the romantic ones that I had for her. With my hands reaching up to cup her features, her body only responded by pushing her body closer to my own frame, the kiss deepening with the gesture. The moment she pulled back at the sound of Joanna's words, my breath was completely taken away. Gasping for much needed breath, I managed to steal a glance at her when she wasn't looking, and to my surprise, she was doing the same.

If I didn't know any better, I would have believed that was the first real kiss she had given me. Maybe there was a chance for us to be together when the games were over. Seeing as we were highly adored by those in the Capitol, surely killing us both off would cause an uprising in the streets of the Capitol, right? Watching closely as Katniss stood, I followed her movements as she approached the others of the alliance before soon making my way towards them, machete in hand. It wasn't look before we had all reached the large tree that was attracting the lightning every twelve hours.

Everything that happened next was too fast for my mind to understand before it was too late.

The wire connecting the tree to the spindle had been cut and all hell was breaking loose. Before I knew what was happening, Finnick had taken off in the direction of the cut wire, screaming widely for Joanna but not Katniss. Unless it had all been a trick? To get Katniss and Joanna alone so that she could finish off Katniss while Finnick took care of me? But, if that were the case, why had Finnick gone off, leaving me with the other tribute?

Finnick had been gone for what seemed like hours before hearing the sound of the canon echoing through the jungle. Who had just lost their life?

_Katniss…__**my**__ girl on fire. _

Not even caring about having to protect the other tribute as promised, I took off in the direction the others had taken before the wire was cut. My movements may have been hindered due to my artificial leg, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from protecting the girl I was in love with. As I ran through the humid jungle, my breath laboured, eyes burning as sweat dripped into them, my body collided with that of another. A hand covered my mouth as something sharp dug into the flesh of my arm, a muffle scream sounded from behind the hand as searing pain radiated on the arm being sliced. It was then I realised what was happening – the tracker had been injected in that arm; they were removing it. Glancing up at the would-be attacker, my eyes noticed the feminine – though still muscular – body of Joanna.

Before I could even ask the question that was burning to escape, she gave me the answer.

"_She's alive – I got the tracker out of her. Get back to the tree. Now, Peeta, go." _

Not even doubting her alliance for a second now, I rose to my feet, machete still in hand as I turned and raced towards the tree, going as fast as my artificial leg could allow. It had taken months to learn to walk again, and running was still a difficult task for me – the way it felt on the uneven ground was foreign. I was lucky to be standing, to be honest.

"_Peeta! Peeta!"_

The sound of Katniss screaming my name only made me push harder, trying to move my body at a faster speed. Reaching the clearing, my chest heaving with laboured breath, sweating dripping down my temple to my neck, I watched with disbelief now as Katniss raised her bow to Finnick. They weren't trying to betray us, but rather protect us for whatever reason that may be. I slowly made my way towards where Katniss was standing, hands surrendering just in case she turned on me as well – I was no threat to her.

"_Remember who your real enemies are." _

"Katniss, he's our ally."

At my words, she turned to face me and threw her arms around my neck in a choke-tight grip. Her features buried themselves into my neck as she clutched me tightly. Had she thought me dead when I did not answer her? Did she believe, like I had before, that they had turned on us?

"You're safe. I got—"

Just at that moment, I felt her push me out of the way and onto the ground by her feet. I watched in horror as one of the Career Tributes struck Finnick down from behind with what looked like Joanna's tomahawk. Blood spurted from the wound, his eyes wide at the surprise attack – blood poured from his mouth, no doubt blood filling in his lungs but he was able to turn and drive his trident into the Career's abdomen, slicing the flesh easily – the wound was that large that parts of his small intestines and other organ had slid out. I turned my attention to Katniss now as she shot a bow at the other attacking Tribute, engaging in her own battle. Reaching for my machete, I hurled it at the Tribute and watched as the blade pierced their chest cavity. But, there was nothing I could do as I watched the thrown weapon fly through the air and sliced along the girl from District Twelve's neck.

"Katniss?!" I rushed to her side as she collapsed in a heap with her hand clutching at her throat, gasping for breath. She couldn't speak, blood blocking her airways. She too was drowning in her own blood.

_Boom._

The sound of the canon symbolising one of the tribute's death.

_Boom. Boom._

The next two to signal the death of two more.

It couldn't have been Katniss, no, she was still choking and fighting for her life.

"Why'd you do it Katniss? Why'd you push me out of the way?" Tears filled my eyes as I clutched the dying girl – my girl on fire – close to my chest, burying my face into her bloodied hair. "I can't cope without you…you know that. Why'd you do this? You could have gone home and been safe." I heard as she tried to speak, the sounds gurgled and soft, but I watched as she raised her hand to take hold of the locket that was placed around my neck. Her fingers brushed at it, a soft cry escaping her lips. Looking at her, I saw the tears in her eyes, the fear that was sketched over her bloodied features. Knowing what she wanted, I removed the locket and opened it up, revealing the faces of those she loved and cared for. Breathing shakily, the tears spilling over the rims, I watched as she stroked each photo before she looked up at me, her breath heavier now, much more laboured.

She was trying to speak still, but couldn't.

"I know," was all I said with a sad smile touching my lips. "I know."

I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, the taste of tears on both of our lips. "It was real for me."

_Boom_.

The sound of the final canon.

My girl on fire…gone.


End file.
